NATIONAL GENEALOGICAL SOCIETY ���� FAMILY HISTORY CONFERENCE PROGRAM PRESENTED BY: SUPPORTING HOST: NATIONAL VIRGINIA GENEALOGICAL GENEALOGICAL ® SOCIETY SOCIETY ® 6400 Arlington Blvd., Suite 810 P. O. Box 626 Falls Church, VA 22042-2318 Orange, VA 22960-0365 703-525-0050 | 800-473-0060 vgs.org ngsgenealogy.org A MESSAGE FROM THE NGS PRESIDENT E ARE PLEASED TO WELCOME YOU the conference, we will collaborate with society W to the 2021 virtual NGS 2021 Family History leaders, librarians, and archivists to share ideas Conference. On behalf of the National Genealogical and strengthen our genealogical community. For Society Board of Directors, our staff, committed those who help manage organizations that offer volunteers, and our supporting host society, the genealogical support, we have a full day, Focus on Virginia Genealogical Society, we thank you for Societies, devoted to lectures such as Communicating attending. We hope the conference events will help to Members, Managing Events, and Going Virtual. push your genealogical knowledge to the next level. The SLAM! Idea Showcase event will allow attendees to benefit from presentations by information This is our forty-third annual conference, and the specialists who serve genealogists and to learn more second year we have offered our entire program about successful endeavors that we can adapt for our virtually. The NGS conference committee has created own organizations. a powerful program of virtual events for individual family historians, societies, and organizations that The full week of virtual events is described in this stretch over five days, 17-21 May 2021. program. Make sure you don’t miss our featured events, NGS 2021 Live! and NGS On-Demand! On behalf of NGS, I want to thank the Virginia starting 15 June. Take advantage of the discounted Genealogical Society (VGS), the 2021 Supporting early bird registration fee plus member discounts Host Society. Mary O’Brien Vidlak, CG, president when you sign up by 15 March for NGS 2021 Live! or of VGS, and Teresa Kelley, local Conference Chair, NGS On-Demand! packages. Registration is open at led the committee that tirelessly helped shape and conference.ngsgenealogy.org. plan the 2021 conference originally scheduled to take place in Richmond, Virginia. The VGS team was An important part of our success and ability to bring instrumental in helping transition the conference you a quality conference is the generous support of to an all-virtual program. I also want to thank the our sponsors. At the Platinum level, this includes many members of the national NGS team, including Ancestry, FamilySearch, and FamilyTreeDNA. We members of our board, staff, speakers, conference also want to recognize our sponsor Vivid-Pix and committee, and volunteers who made this excellent we extend our thanks to the genealogical societies program possible. and organizations that sponsor lectures. Without the support of so many, including our speakers, The NGS Family History Conference is created for exhibitors, and terrific volunteers, our programs family history researchers at all levels—beginner, would not be possible. intermediate, and advanced. The breadth of session topics presented as part of NGS Live! and the Thank you for supporting the National Genealogical eighty-five on-demand sessions are designed for Society and our conferences. We wish you an attendees to personalize their learning experience enjoyable virtual genealogical journey with us during and build their skills in diverse areas including BCG the week of 17-21 May. We hope what you learn Skillbuilding, DNA, African American and Heritage at the NGS Family History Conference brings you Resources, Immigration, Land and Military Records, closer to your full family story. Migration, Methodology, Religion, Writing and Kathryn M. Doyle, President Documentation, and much more. Organizational mentoring and assistance are now Please join us for the NGS Annual Meeting an important part of our annual event. During on Wednesday, 19 May 2021 at 5:20 p.m. ET. NGS Virtual Family History Conference | 17–21 May 2021 Issued 5 March 2021 Page 2 TO CONTENTS CONTENTS CONTENTS Social Media Policy—#NGS2021GEN 4 Sponsors and Participating Organizations 5 NGS Leadership 8 Virginia: Deep Roots of a Nation 2021 Conference Committee 9 Local Host Society Virginia Genealogical Society 9 Delegate Council Steering Committee 10 SLAM Committee—Societies, Libraries, Archives, and Museums 10 Acknowledgments—Thank You! 12 About NGS 13 Abbreviations 14 Conference Schedule—Monday, 17 May 2021, Delegate Council 15 Conference Schedule—Tuesday, 18 May 2021, SLAM! Idea Showcase 16 Conference Schedule—Wednesday, 19 May 2021, NGS 2021 Live! 17 Conference Schedule—Thursday, 20 May 2021, NGS 2021 Live! 18 Conference Schedule—Friday, 21 May 2021, Focus on Societies 21 On-Demand Lecture Series 23 Bonus—Sponsored Sessions 31 Conference Speaker Biographies 33 Registration details at conference.ngsgenealogy.org NGS Virtual Family History Conference | 17–21 May 2021 Issued 5 March 2021 Page 3 SOCIAL MEDIA POLICY—#NGS2021GEN SESSIONS NGS does not permit screen shots, photography, audio, or video recordings of any presentations, including slides and handouts at NGS 2021 Live! or when viewing On-Demand sessions. All virtual programs presented by NGS and its speakers, 17–21 May 2021, are protected by copyright as well as the conference syllabus which will be distributed electronically prior to the beginning of the conference. NGS contracts with an outside company to audio and video record the lectures of speakers who provide their written consent. NGS encourages participants to use the “chat” during NGS 2021 Live! and other NGS virtual programs during the week. NGS permits and encourages the use of social media such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and blogging to summarize, highlight, excerpt, review, critique, and promote the presented materials, syllabus materials, or the conference in general, provided that § copyright law is observed; § verbatim information is limited to a few quotes; and § the author or speaker is referenced and cited appropriately. NGS 2021 VIRTUAL FAMILY HISTORY CONFERENCE, 17–21 MAY 2021 NGS permits and encourages the use of social media during its NGS 2021 Virtual Family History Conference including Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and blogging to summarize, highlight, and promote speakers, exhibitors, sponsors, and the conference in general. NGS encourages you to: § follow us on Twitter and Instagram (@ngsgenealogy) § like us on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/ngsgenealogy) § subscribe to the NGS conference blog at https://conference.ngsgenealgoy.org/blog/ § use the appropriate hashtags #NGS DelegateCouncil; #NGSSLAM!; #NGS2021LIVE; #NGSFocusOnSocieties; and #NGSOnDemand on social media posts. § blog, post, and tweet about what you are hearing and seeing at NGS 2021 Live! and the other virtual programs. Highlight and comment on the program content but do not share any of the materials being presented in detail which is a violation of copyright. § chat about products and services in the Virtual Exhibit Hall. § provide feedback to the NGS staff and the Conference Committee by participating in conference surveys. NGS Virtual Family History Conference | 17–21 May 2021 Issued 5 March 2021 Page 4 TO CONTENTS SPONSORS AND PARTICIPATING ORGANIZATIONS American Ancestors Genealogical Speakers Guild (GSG) Ancestry Germanna Foundation Association of Professional Genealogists (APG) Mid-Atlantic Germanic Society Board for Certification of Genealogists (BCG) MyHeritage BCG Education Fund, Helen F. M. Leary National Society Daughters of the American Distinguished Lecture Revolution (NSDAR) BYU Center for Family History and Genealogy New England Historic Genealogical Society Collectionaire (NEHGS) Family History Guide ProQuest FamilySearch Research Ties FamilyTreeDNA The Swedish Colonial Society Genealogical.com Virginia Genealogical Society (VGS) Genealogical Institute of Federal Records VIVID-PIX Alumni Association (Gen-Fed) 2021 CONFERENCE SPONSORS—THANK YOU! Platinum Level Platinum Level Platinum Level Silver Level Silver Level Silver Level Silver Level Silver Level Diamond Level Subscribe to the NGS conference blog and receive updates at conference.ngsgenealogy.org/blog NGS Virtual Family History Conference | 17–21 May 2021 Issued 5 March 2021 Page 5 TO CONTENTS Virginia Genealogical Society www.vgs.org On behalf of the Virginia Genealogical Society, we welcome you to the Virtual NGS 2021 Family History Conference. We wish we were able to welcome you to our wonderful state in person as we had intended. Unfortunately, COVID-19 disrupted those plans. NGS was compelled to change to this virtual program due to ongoing state mandates in regard to COVID-19 and their concern for the well-being of all. Although we are disappointed to not be able to greet you in Richmond, we know you will enjoy the presentations and activities of the conference. The two days of NGS 2021 LIVE! offer terrific sessions for all family historians. The program on Wednesday opens with a presentation on tracking migrating Virginians. Throughout the day and on into Thursday, there are multiple presentations to help develop your genealogical skills and enhance your knowledge, including many sessions with a focus on Virginia. Thursday ends with our VGS sponsored event—a visit from the Marquis de Lafayette, the Frenchman whose support led to America’s independence. The opportunity to learn continues in June with the On-Demand Lecture Series. These lectures cover